Automatic controlling system for continuous agitation and transfer systems for treatment of ores.



J. w. BUCHE R an R. P. AKINS. AUJOMATIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FORCONTINUOUS AGITATION AND TRANSFER SYSTEMS FOR TREATMENT OF (IRES.APPLICATION FILED o cT.1". 19:5.

' Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

I ,Auwrh M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WM. BUCHER AND RANDALL P. AKINS, 0F DENVER, COI ORADO, ASSIGNORS TOCOLORADO IRON WORKS COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OFMAINE.

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS AGITA'JION AND TRANSFERSYSTEMS FOR TREATMENT OF ORES.

Application filed October 7, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN VVM. BUCHER and RANDALL P. Ann's, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Denver, Colo- ,rado, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Controlling Systems forContinuous Agitation and Transfer Systems for Treatment of Ores, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain improvements in the treatmentof slimes of gold and silver ores with cyanid' solution, and pertainsmore particularly to means for automatically controll ng the continuousagitation and transferring of pulp from one tank to another in seriesand fo'r-s'imulta neously controlling the flow of the cyanid solutionpassing through the tanks in the opposite direction.

The principal object of the invention con sists inthe provision ofautomatically operated controlling valves, adapted to be used inconnection with the several tanks of such. a system for the purpose ofregulating the pulp supply and barren solution supply theretorespectively. a

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of aplurality of similar automatically operated oontrollingvalves used inconnection with the necessary air lift system and transfer pipes forregulating the transfer of the pulp through the system from one tank tothe next succeeding one, and for simultaneously regulating the transferof the counter current barren solution in a similar manner through thesystem in the opposite direction.

\Vith these and other objects in View, which will be apparent from thesubsequent disclosure, the invention consists of the combination andarrangement of parts more fully set forth in the followingspecification, illustrated in the accompanyinp drawing, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates Specification of Letters FatentlPatented Mar. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 54,634.

the invention diagrammatically, parts being shown in sectionalelevation.-

The pulp to be treated is passed through a series of tanks, where it isagitated, mixed with a counter culrent of barren cyanid solution anddrawn off to the pulp filter. For the purpose of convenience theinvention is illustrated at (1 described as comprising a system of threesuch tanks, 1, 2 afid 3, but it will be understood'that the number ofthese tanks can be increased or the arrangement varied without in anyway departing from the scope of the invention.

Pulp is supplied to tank 1 from a pipe 4 connected with in suitablesource (not shown).

The tanks 1, 2 and 3 are provided with centrally located annular skirtsP, P", P respectively, providing inclosed portions in which the pulp canbe agitated, and at the same time producing outer annular settlingspaces 0 O in which the clear solution can remain practicallyundisturbed and from which it can be withdrawn by means of overflowweirs M M and M? into launders N N N extending circumferentially aroundthe inner upper portions of the tanks. The tanks 1, 2 and 3 areprovided' with lower conically formed bottom walls having centra lylocated drain valves provided at their 10 vermost points, and are inother respects constructed in the usual manner. The barren cyanidsolution is sup plied to tank 3 thrc ugh a pipe 5 connected with asuitable sourze (not shown). v

The main air supply is represented by a header or supply pipe 0 fromwhich air is led by a series of br: nch pipes to the several placeswhere it is l'tilized for agitating or lifting purposes. A series ofpulp transfer supply plpes R 1% and R are provided tending to open uppipes 1", r and 9 each of which is provided with a controlling valve K,K, and K respectively, automatically operated by floats b, b b. Asimilar set of solution transfer pipes S S and S are provided, extendingfrom the launder at the top of one tank to the space inclosed by theannular skirt at the top of the next succeeding tank (in the reversedirection). Lifting air is supplied to these pipes by a series of branchpipes s s 8, each of which is provided with a controlling valve 9', j,7', respectively, automatically operated by floats c, c and c. The airsupply for agitation within the skirts p, p and p and the lower portionof the body of the tank is admitted from the main air supply pipe 6through branch pipes Z Z Z extending centrally downward through a Seriesof. pipes Q Q and Q, by means of which the heavy pulp from the bottom ofthe cone is lifted to the upper inclosed portions within'the skirts P, Pand P The supply of air through these pipes is regulated by means of thehand operated valves L L and L The floats a and (l which control thepulp supply and barren solution supply, respectively, are adjustablevertically on their stems, and are adapted to open the valves in theirlowered position and close them in their raised position.

he floats b b 7) and 0 c 0 are each adjustably carried on a dependingrod and are adapted to open their respective valves in their raisedpositions and close them in their lowered positions.

The operation of the device is as follows:

If, for any reason, the pulp supply should diminish, the level of thesolution in the annular space 0. would tend to fall, thereby loweringthe float a, and at the same time lowering the floats b b and b therebythe pulp supply valve A, and close the air valve K. K'-' and K etc,thereby shutting off the air supply and thus tending to diminish theamount of pulp transferred.

Should the pulp supply for any reason in crease, the tendency would beto lift the float a, and automatically diminish the amount of pulpsupply by closing the pul supply valve A, and at the same time 1i t 7),etc., opening the air valves K, K, and K admitting more air and tendingto increase-the amount of pulp transferred until an equilibrium would bereached and maintained.

The barren solution supply comes into tank No. 3, thence to tank-No. 2and to tank No. 1. The float dih so adjusted as to admit by means of thevalve D a given amount or supply of barren solution into tank No. 3, andthe floats 0 c and c are ad usted so as to open or close theirrespect1ve valves j, 7' and 7', thus admitting or cutting off thenecessary quantity of air to transfer this given quantity of solutionfrom. the annular spaces 0, O and 0, etc., into the central partition P,P and P of the next tank.

If, for any reason, the amount of barren solution should diminish, thefloat (l would tend to drop, and in consequence the float 0 would alsotend to drop, partially closing the valve 7' diminishing the quantity ofair supplied to the solution transfer 8 and thus diminishing thequantity of the solution transferred from tank No. 3 to tank No. 2. Inthe same manner the flow is controlled from tank No. 2 to tank No. 1,and from tank No. 1 for subsequent treatment as to gold precipitationtanks.

Should the amount of barren solution for any reason be increased, thefloat, d, would have a tendency to rise, closing the valve D andshutting off the supply of barren solution; in consequence float 0 wouldalso tend to rise, thus opening the valve i admitting more air into theair lift S and transferring more solution into tank No. 2, until anequilibrium would be reached. On account of the greater density of thepulp within the skirt P, P and P, the undisturbed quiescent liquid inthe outer annular spaces 0, O and 0 will rise to a greater height thanthe heavy pulp within the skirts P P and P and the floats to the variousvalves being located in this undisturbed space will not be influenced bythe violence of the agitation in the central space.

Now, if for any reason the air supply should suddenly cease, the airlifts S S and S and the air lifts It, R and B would cease to operate,and the solution would rise above the \veirs M, M and M and its thusclose automatically the valve A, shutting oil the pulp supply and alsoclosethe valve D, shutting .ofl the barren solution supply. The solutionlevels and P and within the annular rings O and 0, would then graduallycome to the same level, as the solids settled to the bottom.- When theair is again turned on, agitation will commence and transfer of pulp andsolutions will begin until an equilibrium is again established.

inside P, P

The barren solution as it mixes with the pregnant solution in tank No. 3lowers the valve of the resulting solution by dilution. It also lowersthe valve of the remaining pulp, by dissolving out or extracting any remaining undissolvcd gold, values, for it is a Well known fact in cyauidpractice that a fresh barren solution will often extractvalues from anore, Where a partially saturated solutionwvhich already containsdissolved. gold and silver valiies will have but little effect.

The same condition obtains in regard to solution going to tank No. 2 andto tank No. 1., so that the solution drawn from tank No. 1 and going tothe gold precipitation tanks will be of a high value in gold and silver,Whereas the pulp transferred to. the filter will be very low in gold andsilver values, and therefore easy of treatment for the final Wash tofree it from dissolved values in gold and silver.

Having described my invention What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for treatment of ores comprising a series of tanks, meansfor conducting a continuous flow of pulp through said tanks in onedirection, means for con ducting a continuous flow of solution throughsaid tanks in the opposite direction, and means for automaticallycontrolling the transfer of the pulp from one tank to another in theseries.

2. Apparatus for treatment of ores com-- prising a series of tanks,means for con ducting a continuous flow of pulp through. said tanks inone direction, means for conducting a continuous flow of solutionthrough said tanks in the opposite direction, and means forautomatically controlling the transfer of the solution from one tank toanother in the series.

3. An apparatus for the treatment of ores comprising in combination aseries of tanks, means for establishing a continuous flow of pulpthrough said tanks in one direction,

means for establishing a continuous counterflow of solution in theopposite dlrection, means for supplylng air to the system for agitationpurposes, means automatically operated for supplying air for transferpurposes, and means automatically operated, independent of said aircontrolling means, for shutting off the supply of pulp and barrensolution respectively. 7

4. Anapparatus for the treatment of ores comprising in combination aseries of tanks, means for conducting a continuous current of pulpthrough the system, means for conducting a counter current of solutionthrough the system in the opposite direction, means automaticallycontrolling the transfer of the pulp flow from one tank to another, andmeans for automatically controlling the counter-flow of the solutionfrom one tank to another.

5. An apparatus for the treatment of ores comprising in combination aseries of tanks, means for conducting a continuous current of pulpthrough the system, means for conducting a counter current of solutionthrough the syst em in the opposite direction means forv auton aticallycontrolling the supply of said pill) to the system, and means forautomatically controlling the transfer of the pulp from 0: 1e tank toanother.

6. An apparal us for the treatment of ores comprising in c( mbination aseries of tanks, means for cond icting a continuous current of pulpthrough the system, means for conducting a counter current of solutionthrough the syst em in the opposite direction, means for auton aticallycontrolling the supply ofbarren solution to the system, and meansautomatically controlling the counter fioW of the said solution fromtank to tank.

7. An apparal us for the treatment of ores con'iprising a: series ofconnected tanks, means for est: blish'ing flow of pulp through theseries in one direction, means establishing a counter flow of solutionthrough the series in the opposite direction, and a plurality oiiautomatically operated float valves controlling the transfer of pulpfrom one tank to anoiher.

8. An apparai us for the treatment of ores comprising a series ofconnected tanks, means for estzblishing a flow of pulp through theseries in one direction, means for establishinga counter flow ofsolution through the series in the opposite direction, and a pluralityof automatically operated float valves controlling the transfer of thesolution in its caunter flow through the series.

8. An apparai us for the treatment of ores comprising a series ofconnected tanks, 00 means for estzblishing a flow of pulp through theseries in one direction, means establishing a counter flow of solutionthrough the series in the opposite direction, an automatically operatedfloat valve for 105 controlling the supply of pulp to the system, and aplur llity of automatically operated float valves controlling thetransfer of the pulp from 0' 1e tank to another.

10. An appara tus for the treatment of ores 0 comprising a series ofconnected tanks, means for estzblishing a flow of pulp through theseries in one direction, means for establishing a counter flow ofsolution through the series in the opposite direction, 5 anautomaticallv operated float valve for controlling the supply of barrensolution to the system. and i plurality of automatically operated floatv llVGS controlling the transfer of the-solut on in its counterflow fromi solution through the system in the opposite clii'ection, means forsupplying air to the several tanks for agitating the mixtures therein,and manually operated means for controlling the supply of air foragitation purposes.

12. An apparatus for the treatment of ores comprising a plurality ofconnected tanks, means for conducting a continuous flow of pulp throughthe system in one direction, means for conducting a continuous flow ofsolution through the system in the opposite direction, means forsupplying air Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

to the system for effecting the transfer of the pulp and solution fromone tank to another, and automatically operated float valves forregulating the supply of air to the several tanks.

In testimony whereof, we ailix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN \VM. BUCHER. RANDALL 1. AKIXS.

\Vitnessesz- P. J. ZWIER, H. F. MILLS.

